Keeping kids safe

Why it matters

Every church says it opposes abuse. The district puts it plainly:

“There is a difference between opposition to abuse in concept and having preventative, proactive initiatives in place to protect children and youth. MinistrySafe helps churches reduce the risk of child sexual abuse. To address this risk, every church should have a system of protection in place.”

The Church of the Nazarene asks the same of every congregation. Each local church board is to “adopt and implement a plan to reduce the risk that individuals placed in positions of authority within the church will use the position of trust or authority to engage in misconduct” (Manual 2023, ¶139.30).

Who needs the training

All those serving children and youth in your local church and at a district camp are required to have MinistrySafe training.

That includes pastors, children's and youth leaders, and every volunteer. Kids Camp staff volunteers also need a background check and a MinistrySafe certificate of completion, with no exceptions.

What MinistrySafe includes

MinistrySafe was built by attorneys who work sexual-abuse cases. It is a complete child-safety system with five parts:

• Sexual Abuse Awareness Training: how abusers operate, the grooming process, peer-to-peer abuse, and how to report.
• Skillful screening: sample applications, interview questions, and reference forms for staff and volunteers.
• Policies and procedures written for ministry settings.
• Background checks.
• Monitoring and oversight, so training stays current.

The awareness training takes about an hour online and ends with a short quiz. Passing it earns a certificate of completion.